Hinged-book cover



Feb. 1Q, 1931. Q D. TRUSSELL 1,791,693

HINGED BOOK COVER Original Filed Sept. 26.- 1928 v @ya INVENTOR r By Attorneys,

Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED siATss tric ernennen n 'rntrssnnn or rouenxn'nrsrn, NEW YORK, AssrGNon To 'rnUssnLL MANUFACTURINGOOMPANY, or ronenxnnrsrn, New YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK HINenn-BOOK COVER Y Application iled September 26, 192.8, Serial Nm-308,462. Renewed `May 27, 1930.

n This invention Arelates to book covers wherein the back and sides are hinged together by mechanical hinges. Such covers are useful for heavy books such as ledgers, and for loose-leaf booksand for other purposes. The vpresent invention relates to the means for fast-ening the hinge plates to the back and sides. These hinge plates are metal plates withv their edges formed with hinge eyes,

those of the back alternat-ing .With those of" the sides, and united by the usualfhingepin or pintle. Y

According to the present invention theY hinge plate for the back is embedded within the material ofthe book back, with itshinge" Veyes projecting at the edges thereof; and thehinge plates for the sides are embedded Vin' the edge portions of the sides, which are Vdivided to form pockets receiving these hinge plates and within which' theplates are fastened. The precise features which are characteristic of the invention will be lmade apparent inthe course of the description. l

IFigure l of the accompanying drawings e5 is atransverse section of the back portion of a loose-leaf bookconstructed according to this invention.`4

Fig. 2 is an Yelevation of a portion of the side of the cover partly broken away in section.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the innerside of thebook back,.with the leather carrying the hinge plate partly .broken away to show the latter. j j.

p. Figli is a transverse section of a portion of the cover side on a larger scale, on the line 'l-t Fig. 2., d

Fig. 5 is a similar transverse section on the line 5 5 in Fig. 2.

. i0 Fig. 6 is a perspectivelview of one ofthe hinge plates partly in section.A n

Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the ,bookA back in process of formation.'

Fig. 8 is a transverse section corresponding to Fig. 5 but showing the parts before uniting' them. l

Referring to the drawings,r A is the rounded back of the book and' B, Bare the sides. These may be made of leather or of j any other suitable material, preferably a leather-like material. In thedescription it Y will be assumed that thev material used is leather.

In the back A is embedded a curved metal plate C constituting both a stiifening plate and a hinge plate; embedded inthe inner edge portion of the cover sides B, B, are hinge platesl), D; the hinge plates@ andVD-have alternating hingeeyes c, d, united by wires or pint-les c in t-he usual manner. The plates may be ofa'single thickness or twof(or even more) thicknesses lof metal. d 7

j For applying the hingeplates D,"D, to the side boards B, B,"the latter areV slitted or -sawedinto at their edges adjacent lthe hinge joints, and the hinge' plates D,l D, are inserted into the slits or pockets thus formed and are then fastened securely therein. According to the preferred construction the 'hinge plate D is made, as shown in Fig. 6, of

a single plate which is `bent upon itself to forma double thickness where it is embedded form the hinge eyes, and prior to the inserwithin the pocket in the leather side. The i tion of the plate these portions f form projecting tongues or flanges on theopposite sides of the hinge plate. When the hinge leather, these tongues f come against the outer edge of the leather, and then by placing the cover side ina press 4they are driven down so that the edges of the tongues are turned into the material ofthe leather in the manner shown in the crosssection Fig. ll. Thus the edges of the tonguesf are made to serve as hooked'anges, whereby the plates are caused to grip the leather firmly. i I

`The plates D ,havel also another means of uniting them to the leather in the form' of spurs g, g` (Fig. 6). lThese spurs are struck up from the sheet metal yat intervals, and preferably adjacent the eyes d, so that they engage the leather where it is notclamped by the flanges f. These spurs are not turned Vplate is inserted in the pocket .formedin lthe Y are struckup' fronithe metal ofthe back up perpendicularly, but stand at a slight angle, so that when the plate is introduced into the pocket and is then subjected to pressure from opposite sides, the spurs will enter into the leather and in so doing will be partially flattened down, so that they eXert a stretching action upon'the leather tending to drawit smooth and prevent any wrinkling. V

By the fastening means described (either of which maybe used without the other if desired, although their conjoint use is preferable) the plates D are securely fastened within the leather, and this without the use of any cementing material. Cements ,for uniting metal and leather are unsatisfactory in practice and are dilicult and laborious to apply, and unless the work is done with great nicety the cement is liable to be smeared on the eX- terior. The present invention provides a means for fastening the plates to 'the leather by an instantaneous dry process.' After inserting the plate in its place in' the pocket, a single blow in a press is suliicient to complete the fastening of the parts together.

The leather flaps covering the inner or concave side of the back plate-may advantageously be fastened down to that plate without the use of cement and by indentingspurs of metal similar to the spurs g already described. This is best shown in Fig. 3, where the spurs 71.

plate C. The spurs on-opposite sides 0f the middle line are directed toward the middle so that as they are forced into the leather ,theyv bend away from each other and thereby draw upon and stretch or smooth the leather so as to avoid wrinkling. The spurs may be more yor less numerous, as desired. This construction is advantageously applicable to those book backs wherein the leather is split from the inner side of the back in both directions so as to form flaps meetingor approaching along the middle; by lifting these flaps thecurved back plate may be inserted beneath them; and by then striking the back between concave and convex dies in a suitable press,

the leather flaps are forced down against the metal plate andthe spurs of the leather are` caused to penetrate theflaps, and insodoing are bent downward and toward the middle, as described.

The stretching operation ofthe spurs g` and h will be understood by reference to Figs.

. 7 and 8 which show `asingle spur gor hV in its original upturned position;'under pressure the spur cuts completelyinto the leather above it, and as the pressure continues the spur is itself bent down, exerting a sort-. of swinging action around its attached portion whereby its free edge executes an arc-like movement as it penetrates the leather, sothat finally itassumes an oblique positlonsuch' as that illustrated in lor Fig. 5.

The application of spurs to' tlie innerk or` concave side ofthe backplate for holding down the inner flaps of the covering leather to the metal plate is claimed in a companion application executed by me to be filed approximately concurrently with the present application.

In F ig. 2; the plate D iszshown with its ends curved at This is inorder to lit the ends of the pocket in thel leather when the leather is Icut by a circular knife or saw,l as is the preferred method. Making vthe plate with its rounded portionA a tojconforin to the arc-shaped end of the pocket avoids the necessity of having to perform a special manipulation to enlarge the ends of the pockets to t the plate, as would otherwise be necessary.

For a looseleaf book it is customary to apply an inner back platc'lE (Fig. l) against the 'inner face of the book back, to` whichk to fasten the ring-binding mechanism or other Vthese ears passing through slotsin the inner plate and being then clinched down to fasten the inner plate tothe back. Any `suitable binding mechanisms, and any suitable means for fastening them to the back, may be provided,- as special circumstancesmay require; l/Vhilet-he construction described is that preferred', yet it is to be lunderstoodthat it maybe greatly varied inmatters of detail without departing from the essential features of the invention which are set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is: Y

1. A hingedl book cover comprising sides with metal hinge plates embedded therein, the sides formed with pockets `opening along their inner edges, and the plates inserted in to said pockets and having integralfastening meanswhereby they are'fastened therein.

2. hinged. book cover comprising sides with metal' hinge plates embedded therein,

the sides formed with pockets opening along .1' their inner edges, land the plates formed with 3. In a coyer according to claim 2, the

n uetalV hinge plates rformed with eyes, and with intervening tongues bent back and embracing between them the edge portion of the cover material. f s i i. In a cover according. to claim 2, the

hinge plates having lspurs adapted under pressure to enibe'dl thel'nselves in the edge portion of the material and ldraw it closely against the plates. i

v 5. A-hi-nged book. cover comprising sides with metal hinge plates embedded th-ei-e'i-n,v the sides formed with pockets and the plates having-integral spursl pointing toward the open sides of the'lpockets; vsaid-spurs inclined and adapted under pressure to embed themselves in the material and draw it closely against the plates.

6. A hinged book cover comprising metal hinge plates embedded Within the cover ma-.

terial, With alternated engaging hinge eyes projecting beyond the edges of the material, and integral proj ectio-ns on said plates adapted under pressure to enter into the cover material and bind Vit closely to the metal hinge plates. Y

7 A book cover comprising a metal plate embedded within the cover material, the latter formed with a pocket having its end portions ourved in substantially the arc of a circle, and the metal plate having its ends correspondingly rounded to it said pocket and fastened therein.

8. A hinged book cover comprising back and sides with metal hinge plates connecting them, at least one of such plates embedded within the cover material and having integral spurs which under pressure enter the cover material and secure such material to the plate Without resort to cement.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL. 

